Topic: Please help with rules of mixing Apache and PHP binaries

[Lazo]

Hi Apacherians,

I am deploying Apache and PHP on the Windows box. I have researched and studied Apache and PHP binary combinations that are supported mainly due to the fact that Apache binaries from apache.org are compiled by different toolbox then PHP (compiler versions are different).

I understand technical reasoning why it is very problematic to mix binaries compiled with different compilers (different memory allocators, STL imcompatibilities across compiler toolchain, etc.). I was surprised to learn that:

"A VC11 binary loads VC11, VC10 and VC9 modules" (http://www.apachelounge.com/download/) and similar statement is repeated for VC10 binaries ("VC10 binary loads VC9, VC10 and VC11 modules").

I would expect that all such combinations should be problematic if interfaces across modules are not designed to abstract implementation details (by using abstract binary interfaces like COM on Windows platform, for example). As it seems there is a problem to run Apache compiled with VC6 and PHP compiled with VC9/10/11, I expect that such binary abstraction for Apache <-> PHP interface is not fully implemented. For this reason I am suprised that while one should not mix Apache VC6 with other compilers it is OK to mix Apache build with VC9/10/10 with PHP build of combination of VC9/10/11.

I would like to ask experts on this forum for help to understand this scenario. I just like to understand what potential risks there are to mix binaries provided by different sources or whether I should rather build Apache and PHP myself.

I am not familiar with Apache and PHP code base so I was hoping someone who is routinely compiling these code bases should be able to quickly answer this question.

I am not challanging it, I am only trying to understand why such complex rules exist; I would expect simple rule - if there is no binary interface between PHP and Apache, mixing of compilers is not allowed at all.

Thank you for your time explaining it

[James Blond]

Those combinations from your quote are for the apache lounge build and the modules.

Third party modules like PHP should be the same VC version if you run PHP as module. The recommended setup is to run PHP over mod fcgid. Than it doesn't matter which VC version it has.